In many ways, touch is our first language – a language scientists are now beginning to understand. Being touched in a loving way can help small babies grow stronger and troubled children feel less anxious. In many hospitals and birth centres, newborns are placed on the mother’s chest or abdomen to give them the most skin-to-skin contact. The touch between the mother and her baby brings them emotionally close – a process known as bonding or attachment. In fact, in one study, premature infants who were massaged while at the hospital gained more weight and were ready to go home with their parents an average of six days earlier than preemies who were not massaged.

Taking regular exercise when you’re expecting is a great idea. Studies have shown that if you are, you’ll have an easier time adapting to pregnancy than if you’re out of shape.

Exercise has psychological benefits, too. According to research, women who exercise during pregnancy have a better overall feeling of wellness than women who don’t. They feel more positive and energetic.

The reason so many pregnant women choose swimming over other forms of exercise is because it makes you feel almost weightless. This can be a huge relief, especially in the third trimester. And unlike some other forms of aerobic exercise, swimming keeps you cool.

Swimming also helps to:

• improve circulation
• boost heart and lung function
• increase muscle tone and strength
• build endurance
• help with swelling and fluid retention during pregnancy
• burn off calories
• promote good sleep
• fend off fatigue

Check with your doctor, physiotherapist or midwife before you take the plunge.  However, it should be safe to swim throughout your pregnancy, right up until your baby’s birth.

Introduce new foods one at a time. You will easily be able to tell if your baby does not like something or she reacts to it

If your baby refuses a food do not give up on it completely. Try again on another day as baby may simply have been full when you first tried

Do not add salt or sugar to baby’s food

Give baby a variety of foods. Baby’s like interesting foods too.

Make up fruit and vegetable purees in bulk and freeze them for a later date in small portions

You can mix baby rice with fruit and vegetables if you have a hungry baby to make it a little more substantial.

Follow our step by step guide to bathing your baby:

Get the bath ready – run the bath before you undress the baby so that you are ready to put baby straight in and he will not get cold waiting

Test the temperature – Babies are more sensitive to temperature than we are. You are aiming for lukewarm temperature so it is not too hot or cold.

Baby towel – have your towel, nappy and clothes ready so baby can move straight from the bath to a warm towel.

Get baby ready – in a warm room you can remove all baby’s clothes ready for the bath

Holding baby – you must hold your baby at all times in the bath. Should you need to leave the bathroom at any time, bring baby with you. Put one arm behind the baby’s back and grip under the far arm and you will then have one arm free to bath baby.

Dry and dress baby – wrap the baby in a soft towel and dress in the clothes that you have already set out.

Top tips for dad to get through the third trimester:

Waters Breaking – your partner’s waters will break either naturally or with assistance from the midwife. This also means that you are really close and baby won’t be long.

Birth – Try to enjoy this moment when your baby enters the world. This is where it all begins…

Placenta – after the baby is born your partner needs to deliver the placenta. Be supportive for your partner as it is nearly over for her now.

Holding the baby – don’t be scared and take your time. Take a seat and get comfortable and you will think you have been doing it for years.

Take a picture – you will have lots of pictures of mum and baby but make sure you get a photo of all of you together for the first time.